Electric switch.



-N0. 754,379. 'PATENTBD MAR. s, 1904. ,N. MARSHAL-L.

ELBOTEIG SWITCH. APPLiOA-TIOH FILED OCT. 6, 1903.

10 MODEL.

[5 a. L j 6 VII/71110111117114 a :3 n manic 1 WM Am 26% 1 The switch-plate is UNITED, STATES Patented March a, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE. l

XOR-MAN MARSHALL, OF NEWTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

ELECTRIC SWITCH- SPECIFICATION fo m ng p L er P ten No- 754,379, dated March 8, 1904. 3

Application filed October 6, 1903.

To It whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, NORMAN MARSHALL, of Newton, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Switches, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to electric snapswitches in which the rotation of the spindle tensions the spring for operating the switchplatc and also operates a catch which byits engagement with a series of stops restrains the switch-plate until the spring has been tensioncd and also determines the movement of the switch-plate after it is released.

The object of the invention is to provide an improved construction which shall be compact, simple, eiiicient, and durable when made on the small scale required in this class of switches; andto this end the invention consists in the features and combinations set forth in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 shows an elevation of a snap-switch embodying the invention, a part of the insulating-base being broken away. F ig. '2 is a sectional plan View taken just above the catchplate in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the parts in adifierent position. Fig'. 4 is a vertical section on the line 4 4, Fig. 3. Figs. 5, 6, and 7 are views corresponding to Figs. 2, 3, and 4, showing a modified construction.

As shown in the drawings, the switch is provided with an insulating-base 1, to which the stationary contacts and binding-post 2 are secured and which also supports the other parts of the switch. The switch-plate 3, which carries the movable contacts 4, is loosely mounted on a spindle 5 and is connected therewith by means of a spring 6. One end of the spring is connected with the spindle by engaging a lug 7, carried thereby, and the other end of the spring is connected with the switchplate by engaging a lug 8, formed thereon. provided with depending flanges 9, which form guides between which a stop-plate 10 is confined and guided. The catch-plate 10 is provided with a lug 11, arranged to engage a series of teeth 12, which Serial No. 175,949. (No model.)

act as stops for cooperating with the catchplate in determining the movements imparted to the switch-plate. on a plate 13, fixed in the base 1 and provided with a depending hub 14, which forms a supporting-bearing for the spindle'b. spindle 5 is turned, the spring 6 and by its connection with the switch-plate 3 tends to turn said plate about the spindle. The switch-plate is held from rotation, however, by the engagement of the catch 11 with one of the teeth 12. The rotation of the spindle not only tensions the spring, but also slides the catch-plate 10 in its guides to carry he catch 11 along the tooth 12 until the catch is disengaged from the tooth, when the spring 6 will suddenly rotate the switch-plate about the spindle. catch-plate with the switch-plate carries the catch 11 into engagement with the next tooth 12, which determines the position of the catchplate and the connected switch-plate.

The connections between the spindle 5 and the catch-plate 10, by which the sliding movements of the catch-plate in its guides, to dis-' is tensioned' 5c The teeth 12 are formed When the V 5 The forward rotation of the engage the catch 11 from one tooth and engage it with the next are efiFected, consist'of a re'cess or opening 14 in' the catch-plate and arms 15, projecting from the spindle 5. i The" spindle 5 extends through the opening. 14, which extends lengthwise of-the catch-plate,

so that the projecting arms 15 lie within the recess 14 in the same plane with thecatchplate. The arms 15 are provided with camsurfaces 16 and 17, arranged to act against the ends 18 and 19 of the opening 14, and thereby reciprocate the catch-plate in its guides. Supposing the parts to be in the position shown in Fig. 2, when the spindle 5 is turned the cam-surface 16 will act against the end 18 of the opening 14 and advance the catch-plate from the position shown in Fig. 2 to the position shown in Fig. 3 asthe spindle turns through a quarter-revolution. During this movement of the catch-plate the cam-surface 17 moves idly in engagement or substantially in engagement with the end 19 of the opening 14, so that. there is no material play or lost a revolution the catch spindle, as in the construction shown in Figs.

' into the position shown in Fig. 3, the catch 11- and catch-plate are quickly advanced through plate is completed by the engagement of the posite sides of the lug and complete the sliding movement of the catch-plate. As the sp n- "dle is turned from the positionshown 1n Fig.

motion between the catch-plate and the arms 15. When the catch-pl te has been move is free from the tooth 12, and the switch-piate a quarter of a revolution with relation to the spindle by the-action of spring 6. As the catch-plate rotates about the spindle the cam". surface 17 acts against the 'end 19 of the opening 14 to retract the catch-plate in its guides, 80 that as the catch-plate completes a quarterllyis brought into engagement with the succeeding tooth 12. During this movement of the catch-plate the end 18 of .the opening 14; moves idly along the cam-surface 16. The relative position of the spindle and catch-plate will now be the same as that shown in Fig. 2, the parts having been advanced through a quarter-revolution, however. 1

In Figs. 5, f5,- and 7 a modified form of con nection between the spindle and catch-plate is shown. In this construction a part of the movement of the catch-plate is produced by cam-surfaces on arms. projecting from the guides. After the cam-surface 16' has ceased to act to advance the catch-plate the other arm 15" engages the rear .sideof the lug 20 and completes the advance movement'pf he catch-' plate to disengage the catch 11 from the tooth 12. When the catch-plate rotates with relation to'the spindle under the influence of the spring 6, the cam -surface 17 retracts the catch-plate during the first part of the rota tion, and then the other arm 15 engages the front side of the lug 20 and completes the rearward movement of the catch-plate.

WhatI claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is- 4 1. In an electric switch the combination of a stop-plate, a switch-plate, a sliding catch plate carried by said switch-plate and pro "ided .with an opening extending lengthwise thereof, a spindle extending through said opening and provided witlrprojecting arms lying in .said opening and diaving cam surfaces arranged to engage the opposite ends of said 0 ening and reciprocate said catch-platmsubstantially as described. r

2. In an electric switch the combination of a stop-plate, a switch-plate, a sliding-catc plate carried on said switch-plate and provide with an opening extending lengthwise thereof, a spindle extending through said opening and provided with projecting arms lying in said opening and ranged to engage opposite ends of said opening, and a ing projecting inward from the side of said opening and arranged tobe' engaged by said arms, substantially as described. In testimony whereof I have aiiixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

2, 3, and 4, while the movement of the catcharms with a ll igf projecting' inward from the side of the opening in the catch-plate. With this construction the catch plate may be moved rapidly in completing its movement and slowly at the beginning of its movement. This will result in a. sudden release of the catch-plate and at thesame time there will be little inward movement of the catch at the beginning of its. rotation and no danger, therefore; of its dragging on the top of the stop-teeth- Asshown in these views the catch-plate. is provided with an opening 14;, extending lengthwise thereof, and the spindle 5 isprovided with arms 15", lying in this opening and provided with cam-surfaces 16" andli, which act against the ends 18 and NORMAN MARSHALL. 19'flof the opening. lug 20 projects inward Witnesses: from the side of the opening-14? and isso ar- Ina L. FISH,

ranged that the arms l5 -will engage the op- KATHARINE A. Dueaiz.

5 to the position shown in Flg. 6 the cam surface 16 acts against the end 18" of the open- 7 ing 14: and advances the catch-plate 1n 1tS- 

